Lubricating device.



No. 692,558. A Patented Feb. 4, |902.

' M. w. TAYLOR.

LUBRICATING DEVICE.

(Application led June 6, 1901.) (No Model.)` 3 Sheets-Sheet l..

f/MM% i@ fr@ MW Patented Feb. 4,' |902.

M. W; TAYLOR.

LUBRICATING DEVICE;

(Application led June 6, 1901.) 4 v(No |i10del.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

No. 692,558. A Patented Feb. 4, |902.,

M. W. TAYLOR. LUBRICATING DEVIGE.

(Application led June B, 1901.)

3 Sheets--Sheet` 3.

` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MINOR w. TAYLOR, or WATERLOO, town, AssIeNOR OF ONE-HALE To OLIN R. TAYLOR, OF VATERLOO, IOWA.

LBRICA'TING DEVICE.

srnorntoarrom forming pere of Letters Patent No. 692,558, dated February 4, 190e.

Application led .Tune 6, 1901.1 Serial No. 63,370. (No model.) Y

Towll whom it may concern:

e Be it known thatI, MINOR W; TAYLOR, of Waterloo, in the county of Blackhawk and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubricating Devices;

and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in` devices for applying lubricating-oil to the bearings of machinery, said device beingot' that general class comprising a font orv recept-acle located' above the bearings to be lubricated, a plurality of'discharge'ducts or4 tubes leading from said receptacle to the several bearings, and a valve mechanism constructed to allow oil to ilow from the receptacle to the said ducts or tubes, whereby determinate charges of oil may be passed from the receptacle to the bearings.

4My invention is herein shown as applied` to oil the bearings of a windmill; but thedevice may be employed equally well for applying oil to the bearings of machinery of other p classes.

manner of attaching the lubricating device to a windmill and connecting the same with the several bearings thereof, only such parts of the windmill structure being shown as are lnecessary to illustrate the application of my improvements thereto. Fig. 2 isy a rear .elevation of the device removed from thewindmill. Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof with the cover of the receptacle removed. Fig. 4 is atop plan view of the tube-supporting plate. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the device. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the rotary valve-plate of the valve mechanism. Fig. 7 is a central vertical section of the lower lend of the oil font Or receptacle, illustrating the valve and oil-distributing mechapism.

As shown in the drawings, A designates the font or receptacle for containing the oil.

Said receptacle is supported on a base-plate B, which is attached in any suitable manner to the machinery to Whose bearings oil is adapted to be applied by the device, the receptacle being herein shown as attached to the base-plate by means of bolts b.

Only such parts of the windmill are shown asare necessary to illustrate the application of the device embodying my improvements thereto.

C designates the usual tower-cap, on which is revolubly mounted the rotative head D, which carries the operative mechanism of the mill.

E designates a horizontal bearing-sleeve supported on the upper end of a bracket D', extending upwardly from the head and in which theshaft E' for the motor-Wheel is rotatively mounted. E2 designates a second horizontal sleeve supported on the `bracket D', in which a counter-shaft E3 is mounted. The wheel-shaft is provided with a gear-pinion e, which intermeshes with a gear-wheel e on the counter-shaft E3.' Said gear-wheel e is provided on one face thereof with a wristpin e2, which has bearing in an aperture in the upper end of a vertically-re'ciprocating pitman F, they other` end of saidpitman being adapted `for connection with the upper endof the pump rod or bar. The lbase-plate B is attached by bolts or the like to a bracket D2, projecting upwardly from the bracket D', thereby elevating the font or receptacle above the Various bearings, the oil flowing by gravity to the bearings.

The bearings to be oiled herein shown are those for the shaft E', the counter-shaft E3, and the wrist-pin e2. For this purpose two oil-cups e3 e3 are provided on the sleeve E,

'two oil-cu s e4 e4 on the sleeve E2, and an oilcup e5 at the upper end of the pitman for the wrist-pin e2. Oil tubes or ducts A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 lead from the receptacle to the various oilcups, the rst two to the cups es, the second two to the cups e4, and the last to the cup e5.

vSaid bearings require varying quantities of oil to properly lubricate the same, it being obvious that the bearing for the shaft E requires more oil to lubricate the same than the bearing for the shaft E3 and that the IOC wrist-pin requires less oil than the shaft. The valve mechanism by which the supply of oil to the several bearings is controlled is so constructed as to supply varying quantities of oil to the different bearings, as stated. Said valve mechanism is also arranged to supply a uniform amount of oil to each bearing at each usual operation of the valve mechanism, whereby a determinate quantity of oil is assured to each bearing for each operation of the device.

Referring now to the details of the mechanism by which the operations above set forth are performed, said parts are made as follows:

The bottom A of the receptacle A is made fiat and is provided with a plurality of annularly-arranged discharge-openings' ct equal in lnumber to the bearings to be oiled.

I designates a rotative valve-plate, which is located below the bottom of the receptacle A and is rotatively mounted on a short shaft or stud A2, depending from said bottom. Said valve-plate is provided with a plurality of annularly-arranged openings t', Figs. 3 and 7, which are normally out of line with the openings a in the bottom of the receptacle, as indicated in dotted and full lines in Fig. 3, and areadapted to be brought to register with said discharge-openings when the valveplate is turned in the proper direction, as shown in Fig. 7. Said valve-plate is provided on its margin with an upwardly-daring flange l', which lits outside of and overlaps a conical annular part at thevbottom of the receptacle, as shown in Fig. 7.

J designates atube-supporting plate, which is non-rotatively mounted on the stud A2 below the valve-plate I and is provided with a vertical annular iiange, which [its outside of and overlaps a depending annular ange t' on the valve-plate I. Said valve-plate is provided centrally thereof with upwardly and downwardly projecting annular flanges i2 t3, the upper one, ft2, of which is located in line with the annular recess shown in the bottom A of the receptacle and the lower one, fis, of which has con tact with the inner surface of the tube-supporting plate J and fits within an upwardly-projecting annular angej on said plate. The valve-plate and tube-supporting plate are held in position by means of a spiral spring K, surrounding the stud A2 and interposed between a boss on the lower side of said plate and a nut A3, which has screwthreaded engagement with the lower end of the stud A2. The said tube-supporting plate J is provided with a plurality of openingsjz, equal in number to and located below the discharge-apertures a of the receptacle A. Said openings j2 are surrounded by depending screw-threaded bosses, and the upper ends of the oil tubes or ducts A4 to A8, inclusive, are connected with said bosses by suitable couplings. A space J is provided be tween the tube-supporting plate J and the valve-plate I, which constitutes a distributeeass ing-chamber, into which the oil is fed from the receptacle A when the Valve-plate is turned in proper position and from which the oil is directed through the several oil tubes or ducts to the several bearings. The inner face of the tube-supporting plate J is provided between the oil-openings j? therein with a plurality of radial raised ribs js, which divide the d istributing-chamber J into iive compartments, one for each openingj2. This construction insures that all of the oil which passes through either of the openings a when one of the openings t' of the valve-plate is brought into register therewith will be directed through the proper oil-openingjLJ in the tubesupporting plate, and thereby insures'that a practically uniform quantity of oil will be de livered to each bearing in the successive 0perations of the device.

The upper face of the valve-plate I may be suitably faced for contact with the lower face of the bottom A of the receptacle A, whereby said valve-plate may in itself constitute the closure for the discharge-openings a in the bottom of said receptacle; but I prefer, for the sake of economy in manufacturing the device and also to provide for an economical maintenance thereof,to interpose between the said valve-plate and the bottom of said receptacle a yielding gasket M, which is made of a size to fit closely within the upwardly-fiar ing iiange I of the valve-plate and is provided with an annular series of openings m, adapted to register with the openings 7l in the valveplate. With this construction I am enabled to provide a perfect bearing between the contact; faces of the gasket and the bottom of said receptacle without the necessity of accurate machine-work and am enabled also to renew the bearing parts of the valve mechanism at the expense only of providing another gasket, which obviously can be supplied at a much less cost than the valve-plate I. Said gasket may be made of leather or suitably-prepared fiber. The gasket is held from rotation with respect to the valve-plate by means of a lug i4, projecting from the flange t2 and entering a notch in the inner margin of said gasket. The plate I and gasket obviously together constitute a valve-plate and are in the claims hereinafter so termed.

As before stated, the various bearing parts of the windmill require varying quantities of oil, and to effect this result I make the openings m in the gasket of varying sizes. In the present instance three different sizes of openings are provided, as shown in Fig. 6, the two connected with the tubes leading to the bearings of the shaftE being made the largest, the two connected with the tubes leading to the bearings of the shaft E3 somewhat smaller, and the one connected with the tube leading to the wrist-pin bearing being the smallest. The openings a and c' in the receptacle-bottom and valve-plate are made of equal diameters. Obviously the same result withrespect ICO IIO

to thevariable supply of oil to the bearings may be secured bymaking the openings in the bottom of the receptacle of varying sizes.

. The valve-plate l is provided Witha radially-extending rigid arm 12,by which the plate is turned or oscillated.V I n the normal position of the valve-plate `the openings z" thereof are out of line vviththe openingsa inj the bottom of the receptacle, as shown in Fig. 3, and the extent of movement of the valveplate is such that the openings of thevalveplate are brought into register with and pass same When released, and said openings i in" the return movement of the plate are againA brought into register with the openings d,

thereby bringing said openings t' and a into register twiceduring each complete operation In order to limit or (leterminethe arc of movement ofthe valve-' plate, said plate is provided at one side thereof the valve-plate.

of (on the side adjacent toitsactuating-arm, as herein shown) with a short stop-arm?, which is adapted to engage stop-1u gs A2 A2 at each end of the travel of the valve-plate, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. As before stated, said tube-supporting plate J is non-.rotatively supported on the stud A2 and does not therefore turn or rotate With the valve-plate. For this purpose said plate is keyed on the stud, as shown in Fig. 7, the keyja permitting the plate to move endwise of the stud, andtherefore to transmit the pressure of the spring K to the valve-plate tohold the same against its seat on the lower face of the receptacle A, While preventing said plate from turning `on the stud. A

Means are provided which are operable from the foot or base of the towerfor actuating vthe valve mechanism described, said means being constructed as follows:

N designates a'bellcrank .lever which is pivoted at its angle on a stud n, projecting from the base-plate B on the side thereof remote from the oil-receptacle A. Said baseplate is provided with an opening B', through' which the valve-plate-actuating arm l2 passes, as shown in Fig. 2. One arm of said bellcrank lever is connected by a link O with the outer end of the valve-plate-actuating arm l2, said vactuating-arm for `thispurpose being provided With an aperture for engagement with said link. The other arm of said bellcrank lever is fashioned to receive an extension-bar N3, made, preferably, of Wood and attached to said arm in any suitable manner. Said extension-bar N3 is connected at its outer end with an operating cord or cable P,

Whichis attached at 011e @11d t0 21,10.; at the outer end of thealrm B2 on the base-plate B and at'itsother end tothe outer end of the valve-plate-actuating arm l2. With this construction it Will be seenthat when the outer end of the extension-bar N8 of the bell-crank lever sdepressed it acts through the link O and arm A? to rotatethe valve-platel against the action ot' the spring Q', the movement of `said. plate being arrested by contact' ofthe stop-arm I3 with one of the stop-lugsAand the openings/ll and a in suchmovementbeing brought into register to permit a quantityof oil to dropintoeach of the compartments of thedistributing-chamber J. When the cable l?y is released, thespring Q acts to return said valve-plate and to again in such return movement bring said openings a i into register, whereby a further quantity of vo il is fed to said distributing-chamber. The return movement of the plate is arrested by contact of the stop-arm I3 with the other of the stop-lugs A2. Theextensionbar Ns of the bell-crank lever Willbe in practice depressed byaquick even movement and when relievedfis returned in aboutthe same time, so that itis possible by giving attention to this detail to `insure lthat a practically uniform quantityof 'oil will be fed'to the bearing inthe successive operations of the device. By operating the valve mechanism With'a slower movement than usual a greater quantity of oil may be` fed to the bearing as desired.

The device may be provided Wit-h any de sired. number of ltubes or ducts for oiling the number of bearings required, itbeing only necessary to increase the diameter ofthe receptacle in order to provide space for additional'dischargetubes. Blurtherrnorehould it be desired to use a number of tubes less than the nu mberof discharge-openings in the receptacle and the openings in the valveplate and tube-supporting plate the device may be readily adaptedv to the less'number of bearings by employing a gasket "which is apertured to correspond withthe number of bearings to be oiled, theopenin gs in the valveplate not required in such case being covered and closed by the gasket.

It is obvious that many'cnanges maybe made in the detailsof construction Without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do not Wish to be limited to such details,the ref ore,except as hereinafter made the subject of specific claims.

I claim as my inventionl. A lubricating device comprising a single receptacle provided with a bottom wall'having a series of discharge-openings, a valve-plate providedwith a number of apertures equal to those of the receptacle-bottom, a tube-supporting plate beneath said valve-plate, and a plurality vof tubes, one for each aperture of the receptacle-bottom depending from said tube-supporting plate, said valve-plate being movable to bring the apertures thereof into Ico l IIO register with the receptacle bottom and through said valve-plate apertures to bring the interior of the receptacle into direct communication with the tubes in a manner to permit the oil to iiowfrom said receptacle to and through said tubes.

2. A lubricating device comprising an oilreceptacle, provided in its bottom with a plurality of apertures, a valve-plate provided with an equal number of apertures, the apertures in one of said parts, to wit, the receptacle-bottom or the valve-plate being made of varying sizes, means for moving said valveplate to bring the apertures thereof into register with the apertures of the receptacle-bottom and tubes depending from the device each receiving the oil which flows through one of the apertures of the valve-plate.

3. A lubricating device comprising an oilreceptacle provided in its bottom with a plurality of apertures, an apertured valve-plate having a yielding facing which engages said apertured bottom of the oil-receptacle, said yielding facing having apertures registering with the apertures of the valve-plate, and some of which are larger than others, tubes depending from the device, each receiving the oil which liows through one of the apertures of the valve-plate, and means for actuating said valve-plate to bring the apertures thereof into register with the apertures of the receptacle-bottom.

4. A lubricating device comprising a receptacle provided in its bottom with an annular series of discharge-openings, a plurality of discharge-ducts equal in number to said discharge-openings, each adapted to receive the oil from one of said discharge-openings and a rotative valve-plate located between the receiving ends of said ducts and said bottom of the receptacle and provided with a plurality of openings corresponding with the openings in said bottom of the receptacle and adapted by rotation of the valve-plate to register with the discharge-openings of said bottom, one of said parts, to wit, the bottom of the receptacle or the valve-plate having openings of varying sizes.

5. A lubricating device comprising a receptacle provided in its bottom with an annular series of discharge-openings, a plurality of discharge-ducts adapted to receive oil from said discharge-openings, a centrally-located stud depending from said bottom of the receptacle, a valve-plate rotatively mounted on said stud between the receiving ends of the ducts and said bottom of the receptacle, said valve-plate being provided with a plurality of openings adapted to register with said discharge-openings of the receptacle, and the openings in one of said parts, to wit, the bottom of the receptacle or the valve-plate, being made of varying sizes.

G. A lubricating device comprising an oilreceptacle provided in its bottom with an annular series of discharge-openings, a distrib uting-chambcr divided into a plurality ot compartments, a plurality of ducts leading from the dist-ributing-chamber, one from each compartment thereo,a centrally-located stud depending from the bottom of said receptacle, a valve-plate rotatively mounted on said stud and provided with a plurality of openings adapted to register with said dischargeopenings, the openings in one of said parts, to wit, the bottom of the receptacle or valveplate, being made of varying sizes.

7. A lubricating device comprising a receptacle provided in its bottom withan annular series of discharge-openin gs, a rotative valve-plate beneath said bottom of the receptacle provided with a plurality of openings adapted to register with the openings in said bottom of the receptacle, a tube-supporting plate beneath said valve-plate and forming a distributing-chamber, said tube-supporting plate being provided with a plurality of openings located beneath the discharge-openings of the receptacle, means for detachably connecting said valve and tube-supporting plate with the receptacle, and tubes connected with the said openings in the said tube-supporting plate. S. A lubricating device comprising an oilreceptacle provided in its bottom with an annular series of discharge-openings, a stud de pending centrally from said bottom oi' the receptacle, a valve-plate rotatively mounted on said stud beneath said bottom, and provided with a plurality of openings adapted to registerwith the discharge-openings of the receptacle, a tube-supporting plate mounted on said stud beneath the valve-plate and pro vided with a plurality of openings,correspond ing with the discharge-openings of the receptacle, said valve-plate being provided with annular flanges, one on the upper side overlapping the receptacle, and one on the lower side engaging the tube-supporting plate, a nut on the lower end of said depending stud and a spring interposed between said nut and said tube-supporting` plate.

9. A lubricating device comprising a receptacle provided in its bottom with an annularseries of discharge-openings, a rotative valve-plate beneath said bottom provided with a series of openings adapted to register with said discharge-openings, an apertured tube-supporting plate located beneath the valve-plate and formed to provide between the same a distributing-chamber, said tubesupporting plate being provided on its upper face with a plurality of radial ribs which divide the chamber into a plurality of compartments and tubes depending from said tubesupporting plate, one communicating with each compartment.

l0. A lubricating device comprising a receptacle provided in its bottom with an annular series of discharge-openings, a rotative valve-plate beneath said bottom provided with a series of openings adapted to register with said discharge-openings, an apertured tube-supporting plate located beneath the TOO IOS

IIO

valve-plate and formed to provide between the same a distributing-chamber, said tubesupporting plate being provided on its upper face with a plurality of radial ribs which divide the chamber into a pluralityof compartments, tubes depending from said tube-supporting plate, one communicating with each compartment, the openings in the valve-plate and bottom of the receptacle being so formed with respect to each other as to discharge varying quantities of oil from the distributing-chambers therethrough in each operation of the device.

ll. A lubricating device comprising a receptacle provided in its bottom withan annular series of discharge-openings, a plurality of discharge-ducts adapted to receive oil from said discharge-openings,v a "rotative valveplat'e located between `the receiving ends of said ducts and the discharge-openings of the receptacle, and provided with a .plurality of openings. adapted to register with saiddischarge-openings, a gasketinterposed between said valve-plate'and the bottom of the receptacle and provided with a plurality of openings located inline with the openings in the valve-plate, and interttting connections between said valve-plate and the gasket preventing relative rotative movement ofthe gasket and plate.

12. A lubricating device comprising a receptacle provided in its bottom with an annular series of discharge-openings, a plurality of discharge-ducts adapted to receive oil from said dischargeopenings, a rotative valveplate located between the receiving ends of said ducts and said discharge-openings of the receptacle and provided with a plurality of openings adapted to register with said discharge-openings, and a gasket interposed between said valve-plate and the bottom of the receptacle and provided with openings located in line with the openings of the valve-plate, said openings in the gasket being made of varying sizes.

13. A lubricating device comprising an oilreoeptacle provided in its bottom with a series of discharge-openings,a plurality of dischargeducts adapted to receive oil :from 'said discharge-openingaand a valve-plate located between the receiving ends of said ducts and said discharge-openings and provided with a plurality of openings -which are located normally out of line with the said dischargeopenings, and means for moving said valveplate to bring the openings therein into register with and past said discharge-openings and a spring for returning said plate to itsv are located normally out of line with the discharge-openings, means for actuating said valve-plate to bring the openings therein into' register with and past said discharge-openings and to return said valve-plate to its initial position, and interacting stops on the receptacle and valve-plate forv arresting said .valve-plate at each limit of its movement.

15. A lubricating device comprising a receptacle provided in its bottom with an annular series of discharge-openings, a plurality of discharge-ductsadapted to receive oil from said discharge openings, a rotative valveplate located between the receiving ends of said duct-s and said discharge-openings of the receptacle, and provided'with a plurality of .openings adapted to register with said discharge-openings, an actuating-arm on said valve-plate, a lever connected with one end of said arm for rotating the plate in one direcltion and a restoring-spring-connected also `with said arm.

16. A lubricating device comprisinga receptacle, a plurality of discharge-ducts leading therefrom, a base-plate to which said oil chamber is attached,a rotative valve-plate controlling the-flow of oil from said receptacle to said discharge-ducts,an arm rigid with said valve-plate'which passes through an opening in said base-plate, a lever pivoted to said base-plate and connected at one end to said arm, and a restoring-spring attached ,at one end to said base-plate and at its otherend to the arm and acting in opposition to said lever.

In testimony that I claim the foregoingas my invention I affix my signature,in presence of two witnesses, this 3d day of June, A. D. 1901.

MINOR W. TAYLOR.

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